1.
motorboat (small powered boat)
A small boat propelled by an engine, used for recreation, fishing, or short transport. In Japan also strongly associated with the public sport of 競艇 (motorboat racing).
モーターボート is a loanword compound from English "motor" + "boat," referring to a small powered boat with an engine. In Japan, it has two strong associations: recreational boating, and the betting sport of motorboat racing (競艇).
Common collocations
- モーターボートに乗る: to ride a motorboat
- モーターボートを操縦する: to pilot a motorboat
- モーターボート競争 / モーターボートレース: motorboat racing
- モーターボートのエンジン音: the engine sound of a motorboat
Scope notes
- Refers to a small powered boat — not a large ship (船) or yacht (ヨット, which in Japanese specifically means "sailing yacht").
- A jet ski is ジェットスキー or 水上バイク — a different category.
Related words
- ボート: boat (general)
- ヨット: sailing yacht
- 競艇: motorboat racing (Japanese public-interest betting sport)
- 船外機: outboard motor
Cultural note
競艇 (also called BOAT RACE in promotional materials) is one of Japan's four legal public-interest betting sports, alongside horse, cycle, and auto racing. Hearing モーターボート in a sports context often implies this racing rather than recreational boating.